Conant Stages Shocker

There is a reason Conant has won three straight Mid-Suburban League South Division basketball championships, and the Cougars showed ninth-ranked Schaumburg why Friday night.

Conant withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by the visiting Saxons and came away with a 58-55 victory. The Cougars, thanks to four straight free throws in the last 24 seconds by senior guard James Youn, moved to 2-0 in the division and 5-3 overall in handing Schaumburg (7-1, 1-1) its first defeat.

"We shoot free throws like that all the time in practice," said Youn, who hadn't been at the line all night until he was fouled with Conant leading 56-55 with :24 left. "I felt I had to make them. The only reason we won was the way Brian Butler (19 points) and Dave DuBois (20 points) played."

The final quarter was not an example of Conant basketball. In the first three quarters, the Cougars' pressure defense dominated Schaumburg, which played without center Jack Michaels (elbow infection). The Cougars led 50-36 after three quarters and looked like they were going to coast.

"They totally and completly dominated," said Schaumburg coach Bob Williams. "That's a tribute to the Conant program more than anything."

Although Schaumburg was outplayed in the first three quarters, the final quarter was all Saxons. Led by sophomore Mike Brown, who scored 20 points, and Matt Brotschul, who came up with three key steals, Schaumburg went on a 16-2 run early in the fourth. The Saxons, who never led, got within 56-55 when Greg Starzyk made the front end of a one-and-one. He missed the second.

A three-point try by Jeff Reichart at the buzzer almost sent the game into overtime.

"Having them come back and having our kids hang on like that, we can use that as a positive," said Conant coach Tom McCormack. "We're just happy to be 2-0 right now."

Schaumburg was at a handicap without the 6-foot-6-inch Michaels, who is averaging almost 20 points per game. The senior center sat on the end of the bench next to 6-8 Tim Thorsen, who is out for the season with a knee injury.